And If the Stars Are Burning Out
by for you to figure out
Summary: "I love you." He whispers thinking that she had fallen asleep. "I love you too." She murmurs catching him off guard. "I'll stay." "Forever?" He asks. "Forever." She confirms and he blows her a silent kiss through the phone. / AU. All Austin wants is to love her but all his parents want is for him to love the business.
1. Chapter 1

**So obviously I haven't written in awhile and I'm not sure if this will even go over well as a story but I'm going to try it. Thanks for reading (: **

**Do not own A&A **

Stepping out of the janitor's closet she straightens her shirt and looks both ways before walking down the hall to her locker. She watches from behind the door as he steps out a few minutes later, completely composed, and walks down the hall in the other direction. No one notices. She sighs in relief and turns to fix her hair in the mirror. She's startled when she looks up and finds another body standing behind her. She whips around and his hand slams the locker door shut caging her in. She clutches her book to her chest and looks up at the brunette in front of her.

"Hey, Ally." He says trying to be seductive but only coming across as repulsive

"What do you want Dallas?" She asks rudely and he just smirks.

"A date. Friday night. I'll pick you up at seven."

"No." She states ducking under his arm and walking towards her chemistry class.

"Why not? You're single are you not?" He asks stupidly following behind her closely.

"N—" She stops herself when she realizes that she is in fact—technically—single. "Yes. Yes, I'm single but that does not mean I want to go out with you." She says angrily walking to her seat in the class they had both previously entered.

"C'mon Ally. One date. Just one." He pleads and she sighs.

"Maybe. But don't push me because that does _not_ mean yes." She says and he raises his hands, smiling before backing away and walking to his seat.

Sighing again she takes a seat and almost jumps out of her skin when she realizes that he is already sat in his seat next to her. He's laughing and she shoots him a rude look.

"What are you laughing at?"

"Nothing." He says with a smirk still on his face.

She's writing in her book when she hears him whisper in a mocking voice.

"'_One date Ally? Please oh please Ally just one?_'" He leans back in his chair not even trying to suppress the laughter escaping his mouth. "He's such a tool."

"Well maybe if you find this so funny I'll just go tell him yes." She says raising her eyebrows and standing up.

That shuts him up. She only gets halfway out of her seat before his hand clamps down on her arm.

"Don't you dare." He says, glaring at her and she slowly lowers herself back onto the hard plastic.

"Why not? It's not like I have a _boyfriend_ or anything." She says shrugging and picking her pen back up.

"Ally…" He starts sighing.

"I know." She says freezing and taking a deep breath. "I know."

"Meet me by the tree in ten minutes." He whispers in her ear before getting up and leaving the class just as the bell rings.

She waits.

"Mr. Green? I don't feel well can I go to the nurse?" He nods and she picks up her things. Grabbing her pass she exits the class closing the door soundly behind her.

She all but sprints to the back doors of the school and when she finally reaches the tree that is big enough to hide two people from view she stops behind it. She drops her bag and is looking towards the entrance when she feels a tap on her shoulder. She turns around and flings her arms around his neck. He buries his face in her hair and she feels herself melt into his warmth. The fall air is biting at both of their faces, and he pulls her tighter to keep her warm.

"Don't go out with that idiot." He whispers. She can hear the desperation creeping into his tone.

"I wasn't going to." She murmurs and he feels a weight being lifted off his shoulders.

He pulls back and looks at her face. Her cheeks are rosy from the cold and her eyes are wide and full of life. He looks at her lips, which are too red to be natural, before capturing them in between his own. Her hands weave into his hair and his pull her small waist impossibly closer. She has to stand on her tippy toes and he loves how big she makes him feel.

Like he can protect her.

"If I wasn't so afraid of my dad..." He whispers dropping his head to her shoulder.

She pulls him closer, trailing her hands through his hair.

"It's going to be okay." She whispers but that only makes him angry and he tears himself away from her.

"No it's not! Nothing is okay!" He shouts. "I'm next in line to run a company that I have no interest in; my parents scare the shit out of me; I'm on a leash tighter than Adam Lamberts pants; and I can't even be with the girl I love! On what planet is that okay, Ally?" He asks letting out a cruel laugh and burying his head in his hands.

She walks over and pulls on his wrists forcing him to lift his head and look at her.

"Listen to me." She says and she can see the tears welling up in his brown eyes. "You are going to be great when you get that job. Your parents will love you no matter what. It's going to get easier as you get older, and I'm always going to be right here next to you. As long as you want me I'm here. Always."

She holds his face to hers and they both close their eyes appreciating the moment of just being together.

"I'm always going to want you." He whispers and she smiles. "I love you. So much."

She kisses him then and he feels his heart beat faster as he returns the gesture pushing her up against the tree. It's soft and slow and everything their relationship embodies. His thumb strokes her cheek. She smiles as he kisses her once, twice, three times.

"I love you too, Austin."


	2. Chapter 2

"So Austin," His mother starts as they sit down at the dinner table. "Have you gotten a feel for the business yet? Your birthday is in a few weeks."

"Um, yeah mom it's great." He lies, cutting into his steak.

"I think you're going to be a fabulous replacement for me when I retire, son." Mike states smiling at him while he chews on a mouth full of mashed potatoes.

"You know, maybe we'll be able to find you a nice girl at your birthday party." Mimi exclaims, clapping her hands together in excitement and he feels like he's going to throw up.

"Yes a nice housewife." His father murmurs, scooping up another spoonful of potatoes.

The silence that enters the dining hall then is deadly and he tries to keep his hand from shaking.

"We've invited every business to make sure that your birthday is the best."

"Yes! So far we have confirmation from the Starrs, the Johnsons, The Fishers, The McDonalds, and the Dawsons. Plus all of your fathers colleagues, and maybe if you want a few—_approved_—school friends." His mother states, making a point to send him a look when she says approved.

"Did you say the Dawson's are coming?" He asks trying to be as nonchalant as he can.

"Unfortunately. I know that it's going to be a little uncomfortable, but you know what they say." His father says pointing his fork at his son. "Keep your friends close… and your enemies closer."

_Enemies._

He excuses himself to bed right then.

* * *

"So you're coming to my birthday?" He asks through the phone falling back onto his bed.

"Yeah my parents said that they couldn't turn down an opportunity to find out all of your dirty little secrets." She says scoffing.

"Do you ever think we were born into a world full of crazy people?" He asks, rolling over and picking at the paint on his side table.

"Every day." She sighs. "Maybe this is all some kind of test. To see if we'll conform to society."

He laughs.

"Well since we've already broken pretty much every rule, I wouldn't say that's the case."

"We're pretty badass aren't we?" He almost snorts trying to picture her as anything but his sweet and dorky not-girlfriend.

"Okay, Miss Rule Breaker, do you think you can take a hiatus from being a rebel long enough to go to sleep?" He asks and he hears her giggle.

"Not until you sing to me."

"I'm not singing."

"Then I'm not sleeping." She declares and they both know she's won because he would do anything for her.

"_Whatever it takes_

_Tell me you'll stay_

_With me _

_Forever_

_Don't turn away_

_Tell me you'll stay_

_With me _

_Together._"

He sings softly and he hears her soft breathing on the other end of the phone.

"I love you." He whispers thinking that she had fallen asleep.

"I love you too." She murmurs catching him off guard. "I'll stay."

"Forever?" He asks.

"Forever." She confirms and he blows her a silent kiss through the phone.

He sleeps well that night.

* * *

He hates school. Not just because education was, in his opinion, created so that boredom could have a definition. But also because there he can't be with her in the way he wants. Too many eyes and nosy people that would tell his parents the first chance they got. He also hates that every guy has free reign on her. She's beautiful. Anyone with eyes could tell you that. Problem is, those eyes are usually too busy checking her out.

"_Oh the places you'll go and the people you'll meet if only it was allowed your ass would meet his feet."_

Okay so maybe that's not how the poem goes but Dr. Seuss has obviously never been in his position.

He grips his pencil tighter as he watches Elliot tell her stupid pick up lines. She's obviously unimpressed but he can't help but wish he could do that. Wishful thinking calls for an unhappy Austin. Finally the pencil snaps and he stands up storming over to the two.

"Excuse me?" He asks slamming his hands down on their desks startling the both of them. "Do either of you have a pencil I can borrow? Mine seems to have… snapped." He says giving Elliot his best '_back off_'glare.

"Um, yeah, here man." Elliot says handing him and extra one from his pocket.

"Thanks." He spits before walking back to his desk.

He can see her looking at him through the corner of her eye and he knows he's going to get it later, but he could care less.

Elliot doesn't talk to her for the rest of the class.

"You're going to have to stop getting jealous. People are going to notice something's up." She says when she walks into the janitor's closet during their lunch period.

"Not my fault you're so damn attractive that every guy has to hit on you. I'm just protecting you from all the jerks." He says pulling her into his arms.

"Mhm, sure." She murmurs snuggling into his chest.

He rests his chin on top of her head and the only thing they can hear is their breathing and the faint sound of each other's heartbeats.

"I wish it didn't have to be like this." He whispers.

She sighs."There's nothing we _can_ do Austin. Our parents don't like each other. My brother is now the CEO of the rival company to a business you are about to take over."

"So what do we do?" He asks, dropping his lips to her hair.

"We just… be." She reasons. "We take each day as it comes and hope for the best. If we keep worrying about the future we'll miss all the good moments we could have now."

"Like this?" He asks smirking and lifting her chin before attacking her face with kisses.

She's giggling and squealing for him to stop but he just pulls her tighter and finally plants a kiss on her smiling lips.

Oh yeah. He definitely doesn't want to miss these moments.


End file.
